


Hazelstem's Mistake (discontinued)

by Deerlight



Category: Original characters - Fandom, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2020-07-31 14:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20116843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deerlight/pseuds/Deerlight
Summary: Hazelstem's only dream was to be Oakclan's next medicine cat. To serve her clan, her kin, her friends by healing them. But then she makes a dreadful mistake and everything changes. Can a young medicine cat find her way back to the light of Starclan? Or will she find herself lost in the darkness?(I'm no longer going to update this. I'm still working on this story but I actually am highly annoyed with how I set the first couple of chapters of this. I've been writing a ton this last year and have improved quite a bit. Trying to go back and follow the style and set up that I did is just annoying me. I'm going to rewrite this but I'm going to leave it here for you to take a look at if you want. When I have some chapters done and I'm happy with I'll start posting this story again.)





	1. Clan Allegiances

##### Oakclan

**Leader**  
Birchstar - long furred golden tom with tufted ears and a white muzzle 

**Deputy**  
Dogtooth - Shaggy, light gray tom with long fangs  
Apprentice, Owlpaw

**Medicine Cat**  
Marblepatch - white and gray she-cat with one white blind eye  
Apprentice, Hazelpaw

**Warriors**  
Sorrelheart - calico she-cat with a scared face  
Apprentice, Quietpaw  
Sunwillow - ginger tabby tom  
Tansyskip - light brown she-cat with white patches  
Smokepelt - dark gray tom  
Ashlight - light gray she-cat with dark gray paws and markings  
Apprentice, Foxpaw  
Petalspots - light brown she-cat with a large scar on her side  
Nightfall - black tom 

**Apprentices**  
Hazelpaw - small light brown she-cat with white patches and green eyes  
Owlpaw - long furred golden tabby she-cat  
Foxpaw - calico she-cat with a long tail  
Quietpaw - white tom with gray tipped fur 

**Queens**  
Honeymew - golden tabby she-cat with a scarred muzzle, expecting Sunwillow's kits  
  
Featherdust - gray and white she-cat expecting Nightfall's kits 

**Elders**  
Smalltail - small white tom with blind blue eyes. Retired early.  
Bramblesnag - ticked ginger tom  
Thistlethorn - gray she-cat with a white tail 

##### Dawnclan

**Leader**  
Rainstar - black and silver tom 

**Deputy**  
Brairthorn - gray mottled she-cat  
Apprentice, Scratchpaw

**Medicine Cat**  
Applepatch - white she-cat with a large ginger patch on her side 

**Warriors**  
Eaglescreech - big, brown tabby tom with a graying muzzle  
Blackfeather - black she-cat with a feathery tail  
Cloudhaze - Long furred white tom with gray patches. Ice blue eyes  
Leaftwig - dark brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, Mistypaw  
Bluestone - A blue-gray she cat. Yellow eyes.  
Sweetfang - tortoiseshell she-cat  
Doestep - soft grey she-cat with dark paws  
Aspenheart - gray ticked tom with black paws  
Forestblaze - dark ginger tom  
Maplespots - reddish brown tabby she-cat 

**Apprentices**  
Scratchpaw - light ginger she-cat  
Mistypaw - hazy gray tom with green eyes 

**Queens**  
Mistfur - cream she-cat with green eyes  
Mother of Halfkit, Hawkkit  
Quickflight - small gray ticked she-cat with long legs  
Mother of Shykit, Mothkit, Wispkit

**Elders**  
Breezepounce - skinny, long legged gray she-cat  
Fernstep - brown tom with a missing leg 

**Kits**  
Halfkit - black and white tom  
Hawkkit - brown and white tom  
Shykit - gray she-cat with white patches  
Mothkit - dusty brown tom  
Wispkit - fragile white and gray tom

##### Swiftclan

**Leader**  
Heavystar - dark brown tom with a ragged pelt 

**Deputy**  
Duskshade - dark almost black gray she-cat 

**Medicine Cat**  
Feathertail - pale brown tom with a feathery tail  
Apprentice, Beepaw

**Warriors**  
Mossface - white she-cat with brown patches  
Dusteye - light brown tabby tom  
Shadowrun - a long legged black tom  
Apprentice, Redpaw  
Rabbitjump - a long legged tortoiseshell she-cat  
Heatherpelt - dark brown tom  
Jayflight - a slim ginger she-cat with green eye  
Alderwing - a reddish brown tom a white chest and paws  
Apprentice, Sandpaw  
Elmbark - reddish brown she-cat with white belly and tail 

**Apprentices**  
Sandpaw - sandy brown she-cat with white front paws  
Beepaw - pale ginger tom  
Redpaw - dark ginger tom with a white belly 

**Queens**  
Windheart - white she-cat with blue eyes and a stubby tail  
Mother of Bluekit, Flykit

**Elders**  
Mudfur - ragged brown she-cat with a gray muzzle 

**Kits**  
Bluekit - gray she-cat with a white patch on her nose  
Flykit - small black tom

##### Lakeclan

**Leader**  
Badgerstar - black tom with white face markings 

**Deputy**  
Cinderspot - gray and white she-cat 

**Medicine Cat**  
Flaxcreek - ginger she-cat with a long tail 

**Warriors**  
Dandelionpelt - pale golden tom with green eyes  
Apprentice, Fernpaw  
Flowerpatch - cream and brown she-cat  
Apprentice, Loudpaw  
Sedgeclaw - yellow tom with white paws  
Icymist - a thin, light gray tom with dark gray speckles  
Apprentice, Tawnypaw  
Pimrosewind - light tortoiseshell she-cat  
Ryeslip - a small black and white tom  
Shallowbrook - a dilute calico she-cat 

**Apprentices**  
Loudpaw - white tom  
Tawnypaw - reddish brown she-cat with a long tail  
Fernpaw - dappled orange tom 

**Queens**  
Snowstorm - speckled gray she-cat  
Mother of Mintkit, Cloverkit  
Raventuft - black she-cat  
Mother of Echokit, Blackkit

**Elders**  
Lightdapple - light orange tom  
Heronfeather - light brown she-cat 

**Kits**  
Mintkit - light gray and white she-cat  
Cloverkit - dark gray and white she-cat  
Echokit - light orange and gray tom with white paws  
Blackkit - black tom


	2. Storm

Hazelpaw was startled awake by a large crack of sound. She gave a blurry look around the den. Nothing could be seen, everything was as dark as raven feathers, but the sound of heavy rainfall filled the air and the smell of wet earth and stone reached her nose. Another storm had arrived. Sitting up she wrinkled her nose in distaste, disgruntled at the thought of the mud that would be everywhere the next day.  
  
"Oh, good, you're awake," said a raspy voice from right behind her.  
  
With a squeak, Hazelpaw tried to jump away, tripped over the edge of her nest and sprawled over the cold dirt floor. Sensing the presence of another cat stopping right besides her, Hazelpaw rolled onto her back and tried to see her mentor in the darkness. Feeling water drip onto her chest, she let out another squeak and squirmed away. A flash of lightning split the sky outside filling the medicine cat den with it’s sharp white light. It revealed the cat standing over Hazelpaw, her mentor Marblepatch. The old, grizzled she cat was soaked, her white and gray pelt flattened to her skin as water dripped off onto the den’s floor. And Hazelpaw’s nest. The old cat’s good eye flashed yellow at Hazelpaw. There was a small bundle of herbs resting on the floor next to Marblepatch’s feet. A look of annoyance and exasperation was plain on her face as she looked down on the young she cat.  
  
"I need you to go and gather some burnet," Marblepatch ordered.  
  
"I thought we had some," Hazelpaw said confused.  
  
"We did, but it wasn’t dried properly and isn’t fit for a fox now," she hissed.  
  
Hazelpaw flinched, her stomach dropping. She sat up and looked at her paws.  
  
"...Sorry."  
  
There was a sigh.  
  
"Go get the burnet, Hazelpaw."  
  
Marblepatch started to pick up her bundle to head out of den, ignoring the startled gasp Hazelpaw let out.  
  
"Now? It's the middle of the night! And it's raining..."  
  
Hazelpaw could hear the whine in her voice but didn’t care. Making her go out in this? It was just cruel. Marblepatch snarled in frustration.  
  
"I need the herbs for Honeymew, you mousebrained apprentice. She’s kitting. Now get out of here and get the herbs!"  
  
Without waiting for a reply, the medicine cat hurried outside into the storm, still mumbling irritably around her herbs.  
  
She scrambled to her paws with excitement. A kitting! It would be her first one as an medicine cat apprentice. No longer worried about getting wet, Hazelpaw ran out of the medicine cat den after her mentor. Already, Marblepatch had vanished into rain and could no longer be seen in the thick downfall. Pausing, at the top of one of the roots that the medicine cat den was nestled in, Hazelpaw strained to see her as the rain soaked her pelt completely.  
  
Giving up, the apprentice scrambled down the root, digging her claws into the wet wood to keep from falling. She soon reached the ground, her paws sinking into the cold wet mud. Going as fast as possible in the less then pleasant conditions, Hazelpaw headed towards the entrance more from memory than anything else. It wasn’t long before her whiskers felt the bramble thicket that covered the entrance to the hollow. Were she found a young warrior, Nightfall, right in front of the entrance tunnel. His black fur was soaked and he was clearly headed to bed after spending half the night on guard duty. He looked up in surprise at seeing her.  
  
“Oh, Hazelpaw! What are you doing out of your nest?”  
  
“Um, Marblepatch sent me to get some burnet. She needs it for Honeymew.”  
  
Nightfall looked alarmed, “Is something wrong?”  
  
“No, not really, she’s having her kits.”  
  
“Oh, that’s great! Or is it bad? If Marblepatch is sending you out for emergency herbs in this?” he asked.  
  
Hazelstem looked away from the friendly warrior, feeling her pelt grow warm despite the chilly rain.  
  
“I’m pretty sure that’s to teach me about not drying herbs out properly more than Honeymew needing it. Burnet’s usually given to older or sick queens. She most likely won’t need it,” Hazelpaw murmured. Nightfall gave her an understanding look, touching her shoulder with his tail tip.  
  
“That does sound like Marblepatch.” He paused as if something had just acquired to him.  
  
“But I guess no one told Sunwillow though,” he said, looking over his shoulder, his green eyes narrowed in thought.  
  
He turned around and hurried back the way he came. Hazelpaw hesitated but followed. Soon they came upon a soggy, skinny ginger tabby, who turned and gave them a confused look.  
  
“Nightfall, here I thought you would have rushed to your nest. And what are you doing up this time of night, Hazelpaw?” he asked in a deep rich mew.  
  
“It appears that’s not the cause anymore, Sunwillow. Honeymew began kitting,” said Nightfall.  
  
Sunwillow sprang to his paws, his eyes wild.  
  
“Wait! What?” he cried.  
  
Without waiting for a reply, he dashed past them, ignoring the bramble thorns that dug into his pelt. He suddenly stopped sending up splashes of mud as he did. Sunwillow looked back at them in panic.  
  
“Wait. No, my post. I can’t just leave it!”  
  
Nightfall chuckled, “I’ll take your post for now. I’ll make Hazelpaw pop into the warrior's den and drag out an replacement for you when she gets back”  
  
“Thank you!” the tom gasped out before dashing up again.  
  
Nightfall sighed as he sat down in the older warrior’s spot, his brilliant green eyes stopping on Hazelpaw.  
  
“It’s going to be a long night, I think. Now hurry up and get the herbs Marblepatch needs. The sooner you come back the sooner I can go to sleep,” he ordered the younger cat.  
  
She nodded and hurried out into the dark oak forest. The trees seemed to block some of the rain but not by much. Not that it mattered, she was as wet as a lakeclan cat. Running around to the left, Hazelpaw started to head up the hill to the closest source of burnet. Nestled in a log by Beaver Tail pond, which was further up the slop from camp. It was a bit of climb and she needed to hurry if she was going to help Marblepatch at all. And if it was a difficult kitting... Honeymew would actually need the herbs.  
  
Hazelpaw began to run, her cold muscles starting to warm with the effort despite the rain. As she came to a log, she attempted to leap over the dead wood and felt her paws slip in the wet, dead leaves she was standing on, and found herself falling down the hill. She came to a sudden stop against a holly bush. Shaking her head, the young cat scrambled to her paws, a bit shaky, bruised, and scratched. Not to mention caked in disgusting, cold mud, but not badly hurt overall. Hazelpaw resumed her journey up the hill but at a slower, safer pace.  
  
Still, even at the slower pace, it wasn’t long before she reached the clearing with the pond. Weaving among the trees along the edge, trying to stay out of the rain as much as possible, Hazelpaw made her way to the burnet. She climbed up the back of the log and dropped down into the patch of dirt that sat in it. Were she found a large bunch of burnet grew happily. The apprentice gathered a mouthful of the herb and turned ready to leap back out, when a wave of water came over the edge of the front of the log, the side closest to the pond.  
  
Clinging to the dirt with her claws, all she could do was grit her teeth around the herbs and close her eyes as she was completely covered in the water. Luckily, the water settled down around her chest, which was heaving in fright. What was going on? The log was tail lengths away from Beaver Tail pond. How did so much water wash into here? Scrambling out, she perched on top of the log and strained to see. It was just the same utter blackness as before, until a flash of lightening lit the sky.  
  
The pond was not tail lengths away like it was supposed to be. It was right there, lapping at her paws. Hazelpaw’s breath seemed to stop as she saw the pond completely filling the clearing, weaving around the trunks around the edge. Everything faded to darkness once again and thunder cracked the air, louder than a twoleg monster. Leaping over to the other side of the log, she picked her way along the new edge of the pond back towards the hill down to camp. She paused as she came to it, the slope heading down and way from her on her left.  
  
If things were normal, to her right she would barely be able to see the edge of Beaver Tail pond glittering through the trees. Worry filled her making stomach fill as hard and small as a stone. This edge of the pond was lower down than the area were she was before. In fact the only reason there was a pond and not a stream going through camp was an old and small dam built by beavers. The beavers were said to have been chased away long before Hazelpaw was born, but the signs of their presence still remained.  
  
Lightning filled the sky with light once again. Enough light to see just how much trouble they were in. To see the water coming over the top of the old dam. To see a branch as it was torn from the place it had lived for seasons upon seasons. To see the logs straining to hold back the great mass that the pond had become. Hazelpaw came to two conclusions in less than a heartbeat. One, the dam was going to fail and Beaver Tail pond was going to be no more and two, the camp was going to be flooded.  
  
By the time the thunder came, the apprentice was running. Faster than she thought she was capable of as gravity lent her paws much needed speed. Faster than was safe as she narrowly missed trees and bushes and barely managed to keep on her paws. But the panic that filled her told her it wasn’t fast enough. A stone twisted under her front paw and Hazelpaw found herself falling, crashing through bushes and landed against a trunk of an oak tree.  
  
Her breathe was driven out of her as pain filled her chest. Gasping for breath, Hazelpaw forced herself to her paws. Ignoring the pain, and having no time to search for the burnet she dropped in the fall, the young she cat forced herself back to a run. The fall had done one good thing and had delivered her close to the base of the hill, and it wasn’t long before she saw the camp entrance with Nightfall yawning inside. There was time.


	3. Hurry

Nightfall’s green gaze fell on Hazelstem as she staggered out of the darkness. He shot to his paws, a look of alarm on his dark face.

“Great starclan! What happened?” he cried as he dashed over to her.

Hazelpaw looked down at her heaving chest, the light brown was almost black with mud and the one white patch she could see was dyed pink with blood. For the first time she could feel the stinging burn from a cut on the base of her neck. Shaking her head, she looked back up at the warrior. She tried to answer, despite her air starved lungs, but all that came out was a squeak.

“What? Calm down, little one. Take a couple of deep breaths, come on.”

The black tom draped his tail along her back and lead her to the entrance and its relative protection. Panic clawed at her as she tried to get her air back. She didn’t have time! She coughed, specks of blood from a bitten lip speckling the damp dirt under her paws. Finally she managed to take a deep breath and then another.

“That’s it, breathe, Hazelpaw. Breathe and then you can tell me what’s going on,” the black tom soothed.

A few more tense moments passed. But finally Hazelpaw regained her breathe enough to speak.

“The dam is about to break! It’s going to flood the camp!”

Nightfall tensed and froze for a moment. Then he sprang to on his paws and dashed into camp. The apprentice followed him, as fast as she was able with her bruised everything. She was starting to feel her fall now. The warrior began to call out an alarm as she reached the clearing.

“EVERYONE UP!!! GET UP NOW!!” He hollered.

Hazelpaw groaned. She could barely hear him over the storm. No way could any other cat hear him, with them being further away and most of them dead asleep. Nightfall bared his fangs in frustration and turned back to Hazelpaw.

“That’s not going to work. I’ll go get the warriors up. Go warn Marblepatch. She needs to get Honeymew and Featherdust out now. Then go get Birchstar and Tansyskip up. Now!” he ordered before dashing away towards the warriors den.

She hurried towards the back of the camp. Under the great stump, nestled in the densest clump of roots, sat the nursery. Hazelpaw dived under the arched root that marked the entrance and entered the warm den. A flash of lightning lit up the inside just as she entered. The space was large with enough room for a half a dozen queens and their litters to fit comfortably inside. Sunwillow was sitting next to the entrance, his damp fur spiked and tail twitching. Nearby a queen was stretched out on a bed of moss, her golden fur damp with sweat. She looked exhausted, her orange eyes barely open. Sitting behind her was a smaller queen with light gray and white fur. Featherdust’s belly was barely starting to swell with her own unborn kits. Marblepatch was crouched by Honeymew’s belly, resting a paw on her belly. Her ears flicked back towards Hazelpaw as she entered. 

“That was quicker than I expected,” Marblepatch said, turning to look at her apprentice.

The light started to fade but not before Marblepatch got a look at Hazelpaw. 

“What happened to you?” she asked alarmed.

Hazelpaw could sense Sunwillow and Featherdust look towards her as well. But the den was dark now.

“Marblepatch, everyone needs to get out now!” 

“What?” asked Sunwillow. “Honeymew is kitting-”

Hazelpaw interrupted the warrior, “The camp is about to flood, the dam is going to break.”

Silence, than a wail of fright came from the golden queen. Marblepatch growled.

“Well it’s a good thing we have time before the kits come. Featherdust, Sunwillow help me get Honeymew out. We’ll go to Raven Rock. Hazelpaw…”

“Nightfall wanted me to wake Birchstar and Tansyskip.”

“Go.”

Hazelpaw left, reentering the storm. Scrambling up the roots nearby, she bolted up to the root covered ledge where Birchstar’s den was. Ignoring the safer, slower trail in favor for the quicker, more likely to fall route of climbing up slick roots. After slipping a couple of times, she reached her destination. Taking a quick look down towards the clearing she could see the shadowy forms of a few other cats dashing towards the nursery where Honeymew could be seen being supported by Sunwillow as they exited the den. Marblepatch would have all the help she could want. Satisfied, Hazelpaw dived through the ivy covered entrance. The light from the increasing lightning showed a giant golden brown tabby tom dead asleep in a bed of moss and ferns. Curled in his front paws with her face buried in his chest fur was his mate, Tansyskip. Her pelt was a light brown with several patches of white and she seemed tiny next to him. Hazelpaw hurried over to the clan leader and shoved his face hard with a paw until his tufted ears twitched.

“Birchstar!”

He wrinkled his muzzle and raised his head up, his orange eyes meeting hers, cloudy with sleep. Sleep that cleared up quickly and was replaced with concern as he saw her.

“The camp is going to flood.”

“Great,” he muttered before nudging his mate awake.

As Hazelpaw followed the two back outside into the storm, she gave a quick, breathless rundown at what was happening. 

“Oh, dear!” Tansyskip mewed worriedly. “I think I’ll find Honeymew, love. Make sure everything is all right.”

The small she-cat ran off, vanishing down the trail, before either could reply. Birchstar sighed and led the way down to the clearing. Nightfall was arguing with an older dark gray tom with a short thick pelt, who’s lips were curled back in a snarl. As Hazelpaw watched, a calico she cat with a graying muzzle and scarred face ran up to the two and cuffed the gray tom across his ear. The warrior growled something at him. The warrior flinched away from her and gave her an embarrassed look, before running out of the camp entrance into the forest. The black tom gave her grateful look and the two followed him out. Birchstar paused and looked around the clearing.

“So Nightfall woke the warriors and Marblepatch took Honeymew out of the clearing. Is there anyone in the healer’s den?”

Hazelpaw shook her head no and he continued.

“So the apprentices and elders need to be woken… And the warriors den double checked-”

The apprentice didn’t hear anymore as a young tabby tom ran right into her, knocking her right off her paws. As she fell with a wet splat into the mud, a blaze of pain shot from her abused ribs to the ends of every strand of fur, fang and claw. All she could do was curl in a ball in the mud and pant with the hurt. A hurt that faded away to nothingness.

—————

Hazelpaw found herself standing on top of the great stump, the rain lashing the smooth weathered wood under her paws. But she didn’t feel a drop. Her pelt was dry and clean despite the storm and the mess it was moments before. The camp was laid out before her, as bright as if it was clear night with a full moon. Looking around widely, Hazelpaw’s eyes settled on a large dark brown tabby that was standing behind her. His long pelt was filled with stars. Amber eyes studied her with a gentle kindness. The tom smiled gently and nodded towards the camp below them.

“Watch, little sapling. Watch and learn,” he said in a deep, soothing mew. 

She turned and stared down below. Birchstar was standing, looking down with concern at a small brown and white form. Her. He turned to the white and gray ticked tom who was looking on with horror. It was Quietpaw. Behind him was the other two apprentices, Owlpaw and Foxpaw. Owlpaw was Hazelpaw’s sister and resembled their father, a large golden tabby. She was snarling at Quietpaw. Foxpaw was a calico with white limbs, black and ginger back and a fluffy, bright ginger tail. Birchstar mewed, getting all three apprentice’s attention and gave them orders. All three nodded and dashed away, Foxpaw to the warrior’s den, Quietpaw to the elder’s den, and Owlpaw to the nursery. Birchstar gently picked up Hazelpaw’s body by her scruff and started towards the camp entrance at a run. 

From her perch, she watched her fellow apprentices. Foxpaw dived into the warrior’s den to emerge a few moments later with a light brown tabby she cat with dark petal like spots along her spine, Petalspots. The two hurried out of the camp. Owlpaw leapt out of the nursery and scrambled up to the medicine cat den. Quietpaw entered the elder’s den. A few moments later the gray ticked tom came stumbling back out. A graying ginger tabby tom snarling in his face. Bramblesnag. The tom snarled and whipped around back into the den. Quietpaw tried to follow and got a claw to the face. A deep line of blood appeared across the top of the young apprentice’s muzzle. He yelped and sprung away. But he tried to get close to the den again, his expression stubborn. Bramblesnag snarled, malice in his amber gaze.

That’s when Owlpaw arrived. She angrily spat in their grandfather’s face. The old tom looked away, ears flat against his skull. The two apprentice’s turned and looked as a second tom emerged from the den. This one was a lot younger, a small sickly white tom. His eyes stared blankly ahead and he looked terrified. After a moment, Smalltail and Quietpaw left. Owlpaw stayed behind, trying to reason with the unreasonable elder. They were soon interrupted by the third elder, Thistlethorn. Her spiky gray fur smoothing down by the rain in moments. She sat next to her den mate and wrapped her white tail around her paws. It took only a heartbeat before she sprang back up, shooting a glare at the old tom. 

That’s when Hazelpaw heard a noise behind her. The snapping of wood and a great explosion of rushing water. It seemed to echo through the storm louder than it should have, drowning out the sound of rain and thunder. With a sinking heart, the young she cat looked up the slope towards Beaver Tail pond. A wall of white water was crashing down the hill, logs from the dam could be seen in it’s mass, like thorns in a cat’s backside. It swallowed up trees as it roared down on Hazelpaw, on to the camp. And on to Owlpaw below her.


End file.
